Jammu, Jan 8 (JKNS): Senior BJP leader Ashok Koul on Thursday said that the National Medical Commission (NMC) itself has directed that students affected at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College should be accommodated in medical colleges within Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that there should be no compromise with the future of students.
Speaking to media persons, Koul, as per news agency JKNS, said that the NMC order clearly mentions that students from Jammu and Kashmir studying at the college should be given admission, preferably in medical colleges within the Union Territory. He referred to a press conference held in Jammu by the party leadership, where it was stated that no one wants to play with the future of students and that the affected students must be adjusted in different medical colleges of Jammu and Kashmir.
Responding to questions about allegations of a divide between Jammu and Kashmir, Koul said that such thinking does not belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party. “This is not the BJP’s ideology. It may be an individual’s personal opinion, but BJP today views Jammu and Kashmir as one entity. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India,” he said.
On criticism that the suspension of MBBS registration of SMVD Medical College by the NMC was a loss to Jammu and Kashmir due to alleged communal politics, Koul said that the decision was purely regulatory and had nothing to do with religion or politics. “This is the Medical Council’s domain. It acts under its own rules and laws. If students are studying there, they must be provided with a proper academic environment,” he said.
He added that the NMC, during its inspection, found serious deficiencies such as lack of adequate infrastructure, insufficient doctors, and absence of required patient load. “The Council received objections, sent a special inspection team, and during the inspection irregularities were found. This decision is neither religious nor political; it is purely a regulatory decision taken by the Medical Council,” Koul said.
When asked how the same council had granted registration to the college just two months ago, Koul said that assurances might have been given at that time regarding infrastructure and facilities. “But when the ground reality was checked, the infrastructure was not there. Students study to become doctors, and if the required infrastructure is missing, then there is no benefit for students to continue studying there,” he added. (JKNS)
